Comparative Effects of Site-specific and Blanket Fertilizer Application on Soil Physicochemical properties and Maize (Zea mays L.) Yield at Mikalango in Chikwawa District, Southern Malawi

Abstract

Malawi's economy predominantly relies on agriculture. However, continuous soil degradation threatens crop production, food security, and nutrition. The use of fertilizers in soil fertility amendment has not been as effective due to blanket application, which does not adequately address Malawi's diverse soil nutrient deficiencies. This can also lead to over-fertilization, which can generate greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. The experiment, set up in a randomized complete block design, compared site-specific and blanket fertilizer applications having 5 treatments and 5 replications, where a single maize seed variety was planted uniformly. Data was collected from the site's soil physicochemical properties, maize growth, and yield components and analyzed using JMP SAS software version 14.0.0. Results indicated that site-specific fertilizer application significantly differed from blanket fertilizer application at a 5% level of significance. Phosphorus (0.31 ppm), Sulphur (24.2 ppm), and Zinc (1.92 ppm) were significantly higher due to site-specific fertilizer application. Similarly, plant biomass (3.41 t/ha) and grain yield (7.03 t/ha) were also significantly higher due to site-specific fertilizer application. Hence, the study concluded that site-specific soil fertility management is ideal for efficient nutrient replenishment and attaining optimum yields while mitigating climate change in maize farming systems